A Flight for the Shadow
by TwistedTounges
Summary: When Alagaesia is need of a hero, and a certain Steven McLeod in that of salvation, fate brings the two together. This will definitely veer towards AU.
1. One: When Fate Plays Dice

** Chapter One**

_**When Fate Plays Dice**_

The constant hum of the helicopter's rotors was like sweet music to the ears. More years in a war than in a high school had taught the company the value of life and comrades stuck to each other like bees to honey, you couldn't lay a hand on one and _expect _to get away.

The Third world war had been raging for many decades now and it wasn't a battle fought with guns and on battlefield. No, the world was now a maze of mines. One toe on the wrong inch and your body went up in a holy rain of bloody entrails.

This was a war borne out of the stupid need of the _feeling of security. _ After all an arms race would lead to insecurity, would it not?

This was one big _Shadow war. Espionage was the new nuke._

If you could sneak a weapon in, use it. The USA had had more presidents in the past four years than in the last four decades before that. Russia was torn between the east and the west struggling to hold on to its land, and people.

Commander Steven McLeod snapped out of his musings as the vehicle neared the Chinese carrier. The Instructions were plain and simple.

_Infiltrate._

_And takeover._

That was one new thing. No country had any more money, metal or resources to make new weapons. So, Men were the new weapons. The better your spies, the safer your country. Espionage was the current deal. _It was, like his boss put it, __**in fashion.**_

~O~

The Helicopter carried the Chinese Coat of Arms and it was deceptively easy to land, to gain entrance. It didn't seem right to Steve. _Easy was wrong._

Deciding he could do no better, he jumped down, his company following without hesitance.

_Almost like clockwork. Steve decided he liked them._

_Maybe this was what it was like to have a family._

~O~

As soon as all the feet were on the deck, they started to methodically move forward. The supply room was the first to be "_Sanitized". _No more than the bare necessities were provided to them.

You wanted to live, you arranged your own food. There was nothing to waste, no drop to lose and no breath to waste. The only diet provide to them was the dubious "_Soldier's Hurrah!"_

Steve often thought that it was some kind of sick joke of a meal, but it kept the men going, and that was what was needed.

Methodically following his men inside, he was just about to step outside the walls of the cabinet when he saw the first of his men fall down in a choking fit, writhe and then lay still, dead.

So far now, Steve had survived on his quick thinking and instincts and it was them that saved him from his imminent death. Lithe as a cat he stepped outside and barred the hydraulic chamber, so as to prevent the airborne poison from spreading.

He knew that his men were dead meat, less than useless to him and that if he stayed on-board for much longer, the gas would likely embrace him too in its choking embrace.

All he had on was his vest, his pack and weapons , and he fervently hoped that his vest _would _protect him from the force of falling from sixty meters ,straight into ice-cold water and until he could find an atoll to rest on.

Not that he had much hope. The last he saw of land was a cluster of islands ten miles to northeast, and he was on a frigging helicopter for Lord's sake.

He knew he _won't _survive. And yet he tried.

~O~

_Steve decided that there was __**definitely **_**something **_wrong with human survival instincts._

_He had been swimming for thirty minutes now, the frigid water eating at his bones and sapping his strength. He knew he could do better without his packs and weapons but they had been a part of him for half a decade now and he could not willingly give them up, no more than he could give up his limbs. _

_His body was starting to tire and there was a deep ache in his muscles and bones. Hypothermia was setting in and he was lethargic. Although his waterproof raiment protected him from soaking, there was not much he could do against the cold. He gave up fighting and lay still, for there was nothing for of him to give._

_As his body sunk like stone to the bottom of the ocean, the a last he remembered was a pulsing silver light, probably an enemy aircraft which could shorten his suffering. He smiled and closed his eyes._

~O~

When he came to, he was lying against a tree, a weed poking against his jugular and several thorns in his backside, which could not pierce his but still could make his position uncomfortable.

He rose slowly, blinking his eyes to adjust to the dark gloom, and taking in his surroundings. He was near the fringes of some forest and the steady cracking of dry grass told him that he wasn't alone.

Survival instincts kicked in, and he rolled to the nearest bush, seeking some sort of cover. Pulling out his night-vision and adjusting into a more comfortable position, he waited for the others to make themselves known.

When his quarry remained hidden, his trepidation only increased. An hour thus passed, and yet he dared not move, for there was _something out there. _

_And it was out for a hunt._

Then, smooth as air, three riders emerged from under the denser cover of the stifling forest. They were astride on the most beautiful horses he had ever seen, but Steve brain instead processed the lack of modern transportation.

He did not get long to brood, however. In the blink of an eye, arrows struck two of the riders and their bodies sunk unceremoniously to ground. The third rider, female, he noted continued riding forward, but lifted her hand.

Her lips moved but Steve was too far to hear what she intoned. Several thumps sounded as the bodies of his unknown companions struck the forest floors.

_Magic. There was no other explanation for what just happened. Yet Steve's brain reeled at the foreign concept. _

_For the first time in Five Years since his commission, Commander Steven McLeod was __**afraid.**_

_**Of the unknown**_

~O~

An unearthly scream of rage filled the air surrounding the captain. The female rider was swept of her steed and landed hard on the forest floor, her body barely able to support its weight.

A man with a pale, sallow face stepped out of the shadows, his aura darker than the gloomy night.

Steve watched from his perch in the bush as one last blast of light illuminated the lady's body and her baggage disappeared in a game of lights and sound.

The man gave an enraged roar. Steve was thrown out his stupor and his body reacted on instinct.

_Drop, roll, fire._

Clutching his rifle tight enough to pain his own fingers, he sat squat on the forest floor and fired uncounted bullets, straight at the man's chest, his hands shaking.

~O~

Durza was eyeing his prize. This had took him so long to plan and caused him much pains. At last he would be rewarded.

He took a step forward toward the elven ambassador. And the egg disappeared in a blinding dance of light and sounds.

Durza gave an enraged roar. No matter, he would pry secrets out of the elf wench.

His lips curled in distaste and fury and he made to move forward. Before he could put a foot on the ground, several metal projectiles and impossible speeds struck his chest, each causing its own little blast. His wards depleted fast as the projectiles struck him with enough fore to tear a wall apart and his unprotected heart was pierced by one of those metal splinters.

One last scream of pain escaped him, as the spirits within him became one with light and darkness.

His senses overwhelmed, _Commander Steven McLeod collapsed in a dead faint._

**A/N:**

_**How did you find it? Review if you like and read if you enjoy it. This is one story I intend to finish.**_

_**Ah yes, I killed Durza. That was essential to what to I have in mind for the future. And I need a beta please. As much as I can criticize others ,I am not perfect and often look over my own mistakes.**_

_**Thanks for reading. **_

_**~TwistedTounges**_


	2. Two:Du Súndavar Freohr

_** Chapter Two**_

**_Du Súndavar Freohr _**

Arya was one elf you'd be hard pressed to compare someone with. A person who didn't know her could easily mistake her for someone with a multiple personality disorder, considering the frequency with which her mood seemed to change. A stranger would likely turn tail and run from her after ten minutes in her presence, if she didn't want them near her.

Like all of her race, the Princess of Ellesmera, sole heir to the Knotted throne, carried about her a sense of ethereal, otherworldly charm and mystique. Her striking emerald green eyes could drown an unwary elf in their depths and none save her mother and Gilderien the wise could hold her gaze for more than a few seconds. Her slender form belied the strength in her arms and her sword was as keen as that of any elf. She was one of the few elves who ventured out of the sanctuary of their forested home after the Oath-breaker's deceitful grab of power, driven by a desire to avenge the death of her father, Evander, the king of elves. May his spirit rest in peace.

As it is, Arya thought there was little in this world that could surprise her now. But fate had decided otherwise. That night, many shocking surprises awaited the princess outside her protected home and none of them was pleasant to behold. It was the regular escort party of the egg-couriers that journeyed every now and then between the Varden and the adobe of the alfakyn, in hope that at one of these two sanctuaries the sapphire egg would finally hatch and at last a free rider could rise against the traitor king. The visits and sorties were few and random, so as keep the veil of secrecy intact and the egg stayed away from the prying hands of the King's many servants.

That night however, a shade waited for the princess. His orders were clear. He was to capture the princess and the egg, and take them along on merry ride to Gil-ead. He was allowed to toy with elf, if he liked and he liked the prospect very much. Not that he knew that the she-elf was the princess. He'd have brought along a few more Urgals to play with, otherwise. The shade's patience was commendable, if the beasts got itchy, he could just toss around a few them and they would quiet again. Thus he waited for an hour and a half, before his quarry came into his sight.

The Urgals readied their weapons, their wills subdued by that of the spirits inside the shade, and his by the king. As soon as the escort came into firing range, enchanted arrows were sticking out of the throats of all but one elf. The wench.

He had waited for so long. A tremor of unrestrained glee racked the shade's body, his crimson hair glinting in the evil moonlight. The moment had come. But he would wait a little longer, if only to torment the elf. What use was work bereft of rewards?

He had taken a leisurely position, hidden in the darkness.

~O~

An unknown rage swept through the elven princess ad her Guard, Faolin and Glenwing crumpled to the forest floor. They were her only friends, her companions in the lonely life she chose for herself.

Their sudden departure from her side did nothing but enrage her, for their deaths were not in affair battle, but at the hands of some lowly urgals. In her rage, she momentarily forgot her duty, overcome by grief. This only added to the slights the Black King had made against her people. In a forgotten moment of rage and magic, she killed all the urgals she could. The magic claimed almost all her reserves, gems on her person emptied of the light.

For a moment, she feared she had gone too far. Then the flow of magic ceased and her body slumped against her steed, craving for nourishment and rest.

But that was not to be. In the moment she let her guard down, her most morbid nightmares began to take shape. A shade stepped out of the darkness and an unexplained sense of hopelessness and failure gripped her. But she was not yet devoid of reason.

Instincts kicked in, and she did the only thing she could, a transportation spell. She had no idea if it would work, but at least the egg was out of the abomination's reach. For Now.

It was just as well that she thought of it, for a sudden force gripped her and threw her prone from on the forest floor. A wry smile crept up on Arya's face. She had at the very least managed to avoid utter failure.

The She-elf resigned herself to her fate. Her form slumped on the ground, unable to support her own weight.

_But fate decided to play dice. _

_This was not the last of the surprises. _

_A loud noise shattered the gloomy silence. Barely awake to register the sound, Arya was forced from her stupor, when an unearthly howl followed. The Unmistakeable scream of a dying shadow._

_Hope blossomed in her heart. Drawing upon the newfound courage, she managed to find a bottle of faelnirv and took a few sips, sagging against the forest floor for the much needed rest. Her steed had bolted but no matter. She could call her back. _

_So she waited. For her saviour to make his person known. When the new-found shadeslayer did not deem it necessary to make his presence known, she extended her mind outwards, searching for the messiah and subconsciously, for threats._

_What she __**did not**__ expect to find was an unconscious human._

For several minutes, Arya could not find it within herself to move.

True, she had been one of the few rare elves who had lived among humans, and her opinions of the race were far higher than most elves. But what she felt exposed to was too far removed from reality to imagine.

She had just seen a _human _slay a shade. And from what she_ had _experienced it had seemed like an act of magic. Even if the human had had an advanced enough vocabulary to get past the shade's wards, the human body was incapable of storing enough energy to challenge a shade in a magical duel and come out victorious. Even elves were not capable of such a feat. And there weren't any more riders alive and capable.

Yet, the shade was dead and the human alive. Arya sat in shock for several moments before she found it in herself to move towards her rescuer.

As of now, his safety was her primary concern

**A/N: Yep, I decided to do an "elf" POV. Paolini had skipped it in Eragon and he had good reasons. Pages are precious.**

**Yet, here I am free and personally I thought it was necessary to do it, if only to develop Arya and Durza as characters capable of supporting themselves. Even though Durza is **_**dead.**_

_**PS: I have upcoming exams and updates might not be regular till March is over. Even though I have half the story written down. It's been on my mind for quite some time. As often as I can, I will try to update on a Wednesday, every week or two. Till then, bear with me**_

_**Thanks for reading**_

_Replies to reviews: GaaraSandNiN : Thanks from the bottom of my heart. *hands over a cookie*. Hope you enjoy this chapter too!_

_**~TwistedTounges.**_


	3. Three: Examination and Interrogation

_**Chapter Three**_

_**Examination and Interrogation**_

Arya made to move from her position on the forest floor, inching warily towards the human. True, he had saved her. That did not necessarily mean he was not a threat.

Probing with her mind, she finally reached bush, near which the man's prone body lay still. As she approached him, her elven eyesight took in a number of strange contraptions on the man's person but she paid them no heed.

What drew her attention was the strange clothes he was wearing. It showed no signs of a break or stich in the clothing and almost seamlessly melted in the surroundings. If the man hid among the foliage, even elves would be hard-pressed to locate him, relying on sight along.

For a few curious minutes, Arya stared at the human. His garb was strange and his hair was a strange shade of red, not like the shade's crimson but intriguing all the same. What seemed like the man's pack lay on his side.

Arya bent down and touched the man's forehead. It was dangerously cold, and his clothing showed signs of moisture, though curiously, it wasn't absorbed. Deciding that the man needed warmth, before he was too far gone, she took off his upper raiment, only to find herself at a most vest that seemed too thin to be of any use. Curiosity took over and she poke it with the edge of her leaf shaped sword which sparkled in the light that was beginning to seep through the canopy of the forest with the crack of dawn.

She could not yet risk a fire so she took to magically binding the air around his body so that it retained at least some of the body heat, though most escaped through a gap in the spell around the man's nose, which was necessary for breathing.

Still, it was better than nothing.

Then she called for her steed and waited as her cries were carried throughout the forest, powered by magic...

Satisfied that her horse would find her within the confines of the forest, she took to tending the man. To her, he was an enigma, a mystery. One she didn't like and was loath to let go. The man consuming most part of her active thoughts, she settled down beside him, taking her own time to decide the next course of action.

Leaving the future to play out as it would seemed dangerous to Arya, and as tired as she was, her body had quite recovered from the shock. All that now ailed her was mental fatigue. Deciding that if she could get some answers out of the man, her course of action would be better planned...she waited for her steed...

Arya had planned to take the man to nearest cave she could find and there wait until the human regained consciousness and she could properly interrogate him. Several minutes passed, with Arya still pursuing her train of thoughts before the dazzling white mane of her steed pierced the canopy.

~O~

The she-elf was now sitting in a small cave by the edge of Du Weldenvarden, kindling a small but warm fire. After her steed had arrived, Arya had swiftly mounted the horse and instructed it to find a small cave. She then proceeded to haul Steve up by his collars and onto the horse.

During the ride Arya had had much time to contemplate the man before her. His hair, as already said was a shade colour of red that could only be described as strange. His skin was pale and his pallor sickly, though it seemed to fit the man well. Arya could not decide if it was because of malnourishment, as was not uncommon in human settlements or it was the same from birth.

Just as Arya could not place the man's place of birth, she was loath to admit that she was unable to conclude if the man was a threat or not. After much deliberation on her part and some moral scruples she decided to probe the spellcaster's mind.

Arya extended her consciousness forward and brushed against the man's mind, only to find herself assaulted by strong emotions of shock, pain and confusion. It was strange to find that there were no barriers around his mind.

_In that moment is became shockingly clear to Arya that the man was no sorcerer and she withdrew swiftly. _

_But then, how had he slayed the shade? She could find nothing akin to her own weapons upon the man's person save a well-made combat-knife. It could not be said that the blade matched the magically enhanced elven ones, but it was light and wickedly sharp and would stay so for much longer._

_The dagger was clearly beyond any human blades she had encountered and it only served to increase Arya's trepidation. The only articles left with the man were now his strange staff and his pack. Deciding that they could probably some magical artefact, she was quick to claim them, for her own safety of course. _

~O~

Now, sitting by the fire and gazing upon her charge, Arya was beset with sudden curiosity about the man and everything related to him. Deciding that she could not possibly wait for longer, until the man wake up of his own accord, she slowly but steadily started pouring energy into the man's prone form, whispers of the Ancient Language asking him to end his unintended slumber.

As the man blearily opened his eyes the first question to leave her mouth was

_What are you? _

Arya mentally slapped herself for her brusque manner. She, however, continued to observe the man.

He had taken it upon himself to explore his surroundings before he managed to sit up against a wall and till quite a few moments, the man's eyes had darted back and forth, taking in his environment.

His reaction, however was most curious when his eyes rested upon herself. He hastily took a few steps backward, his hand grabbing for a non-existent weapon...

_Ah...so it __**was **__a weapon and powerful enough to slay a shade. Now that she looked at his weapons ,she didn't sense any magical energy from them. Intresting..._

_Arya continued to gaze at the human as if he were an interesting new species of insect._

Steve could slap himself a thousand times over for the first question to leave his loose mouth after he finally took in the sight before his eyes. The girl before her was a mystery to him, but his body reacted instinctively, backing up against the wall when his mind managed to registered the fact that _she was the one who he had seen performing...magic. _

The word tasted sour upon his lips. The concept was so unfamiliar, so foreign to him that the first conscious thought he had assumed that the girl was a threat to him. His hand reached for his rifle...only to grab for air.

Steven McLeod let his gaze wander once again to the sight before him.

_At least she has common sense, which was more than he could say for many a people. He had truly not expected the girl to register his rifle as a weapon after the arrows and swords last night. _

_If she hadn't, she would have been dead by now. _

Bereft of his weapons, Steve decided to do the only thing he could do. He decided to make small talk. But...the girl before him had continued to stare at him for pat five minutes. He opened his mouth and...

"_Am I some kind of alien?"_

"_No."_

"_What?" _

"_I said no, you're not an alien."_

"_Oh"_

Arya was still gazing at her charge. It seemed that the man had failed to register her first question. She asked another.

"_What is your name?"_

"_None of your concern. In fact I should probably ask yours. Where am I?"_

"_Do not..." Arya started to reprimand but checked herself. _

"_In a cave at the edge of the Guarding Forest, Du Weldenvarden. You may call me Arya"_

Steve's interest piqued. He had never heard the name in his life. He wanted to ask for his weapons...but there were more important things to address.

"_Was that magic you performed last night?"_

"_Yes." _So the shade was not killed by a feat of arcane arts. Arya sighed, it was just another piece to the puzzle that was the man before her

Steve decided to come straight to the business. He could ask _how and if later. _

"_What do you want with me?"_

"_How did you kill the shade, human?"_

"_A good assault rifle can kill anything...anyone. May I ask for my weapons? What do you mean by human? Are you not?"_

"_No you may not. And I am not."_

_**A/N:**_

_**So, how was the chit-chat? Plot thickens from the next chapter and they will progressively get longer...you can tell me if they get better ...or not. Now that I have a base to stand on, we can probably get to the main part... till the next update.**_

Elemental Dragon Slayer:

Check your Inbox. You can probably decide for yourself.

~_**TwistedTounges**_


	4. Four: Otherworldly Charm&Drab Daily Life

_**Chapter Four **_

_**Otherworldly Charm and Drab Daily Life**_

"_Can you show me some more magic?"_

"_No."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Haven't you seen enough of it already, Steve?"_

"_I don't know, have I?"_

"_We are many days from the Varden yet. It would be prudent to 'shut up' and save your energy!"_

"_Touché"_

Arya frowned. It had been almost a full week since that night-time questioning in the cave. Since then, this Steve had been 'getting on her nerves' as he so nicely put it. It wasn't that Steve was bad company or couldn't drag his own weight. But much to Arya's misery that mouth of his didn't seem capable of staying shut. Give him a chance to open it and you could be sitting in the same place for many summers yet to come.

Arya had learnt that the hard way. She asked him what he knew of magic and like. Since then he hadn't stopped questioning her about magic every chance he got. Even little elflings were quieter.

Only after Arya had clearly told him to _shut up _in a very Earth-like manner, had he stopped and not for very long.

Arya was currently thinking how to sneak Steve into the Varden without the Twins poking their noses where they were not needed. Call her paranoid but Arya didn't seem quite inclined to let _those two_ snoop around in the human's mind. And anyways, she didn't want to mess up on the certainly very flimsy trust they had built when Steve had recently tried to gag her in the process of getting his weapons back. It had been a very painful experience convincing Steve to accompany her to the Varden. She could have very easily forced him, but that didn't seem very conducive to trust building that had been going on between the two reluctant partners. Their path to the Varden was something Arya hadn't bothered deciding on the trip and they had simply followed the river down to Hedarth after Arya had managed to get some supplies from the elven city of Ceris.

Steve had tried horse riding during their very brief detour to get to the elven city of Ceris. He decided that he did trust a horse only as far as he could throw it. Which was not very much. He had fallen flat on his face after two attempts at riding the beast Arya had named "Starlight" and decided that riding was not his cup of tea. After some very verbal staring contests Steve had managed to convince Arya to get a small carriage to ride in. In which they were currently sitting, busy with their own musings.

Steve was mentally chuckling to himself over Arya's reaction to his latest antics but he could not help himself. This _magic _thing did nothing to sooth his frayed nerves, primarily because it wasn't something he had confronted before and wasn't very well prepared against. This set him on the edge. He could not help his curiosity, but it still had taken him some time to open up as it was.

Being in a war gave you a certain talent for staying shut if need be and his current, seemingly random flow of questions was not simple curiosity. It was a carefully thought out plan by a desperate man to hang on to some sort of conception of reality after receiving more shocks in seven days than many men would in all their lives. After all, there weren't many people on Earth who could boast about pulling off an I-cheated-death-and-ended-up-in-a-screwed-world act.

If Steve could decide where Earth was that is. His current mood was also affected by the "fact" that there was no one waiting around the corner to blow him up or poison him in his sleep. Call him paranoid, but hey, war did that you. It had taken more than a few acts of "magic" on Arya's part to convince him that she told the truth and he had positively freaked out when she had pulled off a Charles Xavier on him. He had mentioned that to her, not that she understood.

But it wasn't until they had arrived in Ceris after two days of trekking through the bloody forest since Steve refused to mount the horse had he finally accepted the fact that he _was _in the new world which seemed to be inhabited by fairy-tale creatures from home, and that as far as he was concerned this was now the _reality. _

He had once told Arya that she absolutely _had _to be fictional and she didn't like it. So, screw earth and all that.

Hey, don't make faces. Stress has an incredible way of making you spout the sweetest profanities. Not that he avoided swearing. It was only the scowls and some bright pink ears of some elves that had caused him to try and start speaking 'civilly'

In the three days out of Ceris, travelling with Arya, Steve had managed to learn much about this strange "magic" and the mind-reading abilities that most _sorcerers _were said to possess. What worried him was the fact that it was unlike anything he had experienced before and thus was unable to defend against. One Charles Xavier seemed spooky enough to him and he didn't want to accept that any seemingly random person _could possibly _force entry into his most private sanctuary. When he asked Arya about it, an even more worrying piece of information surfaced, no matter how powerful or skilled you were, enough numbers against you would eventually have to concede defeat. By the end of the week they were nearing Hedarth and probably would stop to replenish their supplies. In this time, Steve had, with much help from Arya learned about the basic history of the place and its geography. Arya had mentioned a little about some medicinal plants out of her own accord, saying that it would be useful once Steve's pack ran out of bandages and ointment.

The day was nearing its end and Arya decided that it would be better if they made camp. They wouldn't be able to enter after nightfall anyway. Following her to the campsite, Steve decided to yet again break the silence that had been hanging in the air for too long.

He asked the elf to train him to defend his mind.

"_Why?"_

"_Why not? You know that I am not from this world and you have seen what people in my world are capable of. I don't think that the information would be quite harmless as common knowledge. Quite frankly, I don't trust the world to stay away. Not even you. But you are the only person in this world I "know" and can possibly trust to some extent." _Not that Steve trusted Arya a bloody inch. She was far too withdrawn and closed for him to form an opinion about her. But learning from her wouldn't be _that _bad since she had already once seen his memories, at least some of them.

"_Very well. Prepare yourself!"_

"_What?"_

"_Prepare yourself. An enemy would not warn you __**twice!"**_

"_How am I supposed to do that?"_

"_That is for you to decide. Each person is unique in his perception of arcane arts, and as such my techniques won't be applicable to you. Let us begin!"_

Though Steve still could not _feel _Arya, as she said he was supposed to or he could never tell when a sorcerer was inside his head, he found that some of his thoughts occurred to him repeatedly, without any stimulus. The only word he could find to describe this was _spooky_ and perhaps _foreign. _Unsure of how to proceed with his 'mental defence', he decided that reminiscing about his supposed death was the way to go. As he slowly replayed the events in his head, he felt a certain longing to stop as soon as he could.

_That was definitely not him. He __**wanted **_to see it!_ Well, at the very least he had been able to segregate his own thoughts from that of the "enemy"_

Steve ventured once again towards the last moments of his previous life right unto the pulsing sliver light. He reeled from a severe mental shock as he realised the he had in fact _died. Definitely don't want to see anything more._ At the precise moment his head felt lighter, as if a sudden weight had been taken off his shoulders.

"_You...You died...!" _

Steve started to laugh manically. His mind was still trying to cope with the shock of his "death" and he hadn't properly registered Arya's presence until she poked him in the side.

"_Apparently I did. So what? I can't do anything about it but move forward. "_

Arya continued to stare at him. She was too shell-shocked to do anything more.

"_How are your weapons still with you? And your clothes?"_

"_I don't know. Maybe the gods decided to have fun!"_

"_Gods do not exist."_

"_Perhaps they don't, but I need someone to blame until I can come to terms with myself. Perhaps you could leave me alone for now. As you say, it will be much appreciated and you'll get me to shut up for a change. " _Steve winked at Arya. She scowled.

"_That was not very proper"_

"_Seven days with me and you still think I care about propriety? You know, let me sleep on it, it will help me relax"_

"_Good night"_

Though Steve had immediately retired to his bedroll both he and Arya had much food for thought. And unlike Steve Arya wasn't particularly inclined to fall into her waking dreams yet. To take her mind off the recent development and pretend that some sort of normalcy _still _existed in her life, she decided to contemplate on what she would do once she reached the Varden

There were rumours that one of the egg with the King had finally hatched, and it was worrisome news indeed. As it is, Arya wouldn't put stock in such tales but it wasn't from humans that she had heard the tales. It was widely known that the elves were far more attuned to nature than other races in Alagaesia, and more often than not, nature told the truth, for it was the _truth itself._

_~O~_

It was early in the morning, just before the crack of dawn. He found Arya looking down at him, and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of a seemingly dead elf staring down at him.

"_We must leave for Hedarth as soon as possible...I have thought much about it and with a rogue rider at loose, the wilds are not as safe as they used to be. Gather your belongings, we leave within the quarter."_

"_You mean one of those Riders you said were ...um...extinct? How can that even be possible?"_

"_One of the Black Kings eggs has possibly hatched."_

"_Maybe I should just go join him. He seems pretty powerful and it is always nice to have on your side."_

"_Steve you said you were a soldier, did you not?"_

"_Yes. But why do you ask, I don't even know how to use the sword. Maybe staffs and hand-to-hand combat but definitely no swords." _He patted his assault rifle affectionately.

"_Were you always this cowardly?"_

"_Hey! I take offence to that!"_

"_Good. Now pack up. We have to move as quickly as possible"_

When they had been done with the packing and were at last ready to move, Steve looked down at his Vest. A sudden thought struck him.

"_Hey, I need clothes."_

"_You have them already Steve, stop bothering me!"_

"_You really think that the city guards are going to let me in wearing this!" _Steve said gesturing frantically to his military attire.

"_That would be a matter" started Arya "of whether they can perceive you wearing __**that. **__Seems to me that you've not really realized what magic can do." _and then walked off towards the carriage, leaving the man to his own devices.

The said man, at the moment was too busy contemplating his recent discoveries and dumbly followed Arya to the carriage. When he came to think of it he _really _hadn't explored the avenues newly available to him, as he was often wont to do. As was to be expected then, once he stepped into the carriage, he didn't give much thought to anything expect magic or gramarye as Arya often called it.

"_It is simply a manipulation of energies. Energy which is often taken from the caster's own reserves or sometimes energy stored overtime in crystals..." _ as Arya had once mentioned_. _She had also mentioned that nobody had ever succeeding in harnessing energy directly from nature. As far as he had understood all the failed attempts had been at harnessing either the kinetic or thermal energy around them, and this had never been attempted at the atomic level...except perhaps for crystals. If magicians _could _sense the energy between the atoms of the crystals, it was a very _big if..._then there were some possible ways to simply absorb thermal energy out of thin air, fire and so many other things. Of course, a small campfire would probably not have enough energy for anything too demanding unless he ventured into nucleus itself and he _did not _want self-styled hydrogen bombs on every sorcerer's hands. The air and perhaps the water around him however could prove steady sources of energy and though not too much could possibly be taken at a time it would give a new meaning to _surviving in the wild._

_Meanwhile, wasn't it possible to simply squeeze the energy out of a deer than hunting it down and wasting the energy it already possessed? It wasn't as if it would affect the wholesome nature of the meal...the body could always burn the fat. Now that he came to think of it, the idea was plausible and it would probably be better if he consulted with Arya. Granted he couldn't perform magic yet and wasn't able to properly defend his mind for more than a few minutes, but surely that would change with time would it not? After all he still had Arya to practice with...and she had said there was a group of magic users among the Varden. Maybe he could..._

"_Steve!" _

He ignored the call, busy with his own thoughts.

"_Steven McLeod!"_

"_Eh...what? Oh...sorry...I wasn't listening." _

"_I noticed that, anyways"_ Arya continued in a dry monotone "_You __**will **__have to ride a horse post Hedarth. We are too slow for my liking and there is no major town besides Hedarth till the Varden"_

Steve moved to object but quickly shut his mouth when he saw the look on Arya's face. It was incidentally the first time she had really _glared _at him and it spooked it to no end. The moment just served to remind Steve how much different elves were from humans and the common body shape could easily have been a coincidence, if at all

"_You need not be so tense Steve. There might be a way to get you to ride...safely...if you'll bother with me for a minute. You remember our mental exercises?"_

"_Yes, what with that. You want me to go all Charles Xavier on the __**horse?"**_

"_From what you have told me of your "Popular culture", essentially yes. Humans aren't the only beings who understand emotions."_

"_IF the horse understood my emotions he wouldn't want to be within a league of me. But there's no harm in trying I suppose? Let's do it."_

"_Listen to me carefully. You are not going to find this easy and a stray thought could very well ruin all your chances..."_

"_You made that __**very**__ clear days ago..."_

"_Stop interrupting me, Steve. Now, here is how you will proceed...I will enter your mind...and from there on, it all depends on if you can pinpoint the tendrils of my thoughts...if you do succeed...it will be a small matter of following my "trail" to the colt. Understood?"_

"_No. Nothing ventured nothing gained?"_

"_Yes. Let us proceed. Remember my instructions and do not panic when you touch the colt's mind. It would be much different from what you have experienced yourself"_

With those words, Steve again felt as if his memories were surfacing unbidden. This time however, instead of digging up memories to repulse Arya, he took to carefully observing which memories resurfaced and relating them to where he had experienced. It was difficult to do without proper guidance and as such he had a tough time segregating his thoughts from Arya's intention while trying to actively engage with her "trail". Once he had done it however, it was deceptively easy to follow, at least unto what he could vaguely refer to as the "walls" of his consciousness.

There, he was at a fix. He could feel Arya's trail still but it was growing cold. And every time he tried to follow it outwards, he was repulsed very forcefully. He tried ramming against the mental walls as if he were a battering ram but to his dismay that only served to cause him pain.

_Become one with yourself..._

Where had _that _come from? Surely it would be Arya? He tried calling out for her only to be rebuked again. By this time the "trail" had almost been lost. How was he to ever get out of his own mind?

_Become one with yourself..._

Again. This time however it wasn't words that he heard but instead a lot of Images and feelings that he took quite some time to realise were his own. Once he did that, however, he was shocked to find that only confusion and frustration seemed prominent and it was the reason he was still blocked by himself.

The trail was completely cold by now and he Steve was in some kind of in-between unable to return to the world around him while trapped in his own consciousness. The interesting part was that the part of his consciousness that had been the battering ram did not seem inclined to assume a material form unless forced by his will...maybe he could become the wall itself? But becoming one with voluminous amounts of frustration and confusion did not seem entirely wholesome to Steve and he set about calming his emotions, with little success at first until he became increasingly sure of himself until the wall of confusion was completely replaced by that of determination, though some trepidation still remained. At once, he was assaulted by varying diversity of sentient life forms.

He felt the breeze through his leaves and the ground under his hooves...

_Ah...Hooves...since when did I have hooves?_

_Some part of him that had managed to retain a sense of individuality reminded him that the hooves were not his but Starlight's. What was wrong with that horse, messing around with his leaves...no...?That was meant to be his head...wasn't it?_

_Dammit...maintaining control on himself was more difficult than he imagined it to be. Maybe Arya could help? Yes he had to search for Arya...so he concentrated his thoughts on a certain raven airhead...not that he told her that. He valued his life too much ...now he was rambling again ...Arya! _

Steve realised he had given a mental equivalent of a shout when he heard a voice laced with humour answer...

"_So you made it. Took you quite some time. I had not assumed you to be capable enough"_

"_Glad you find my discomfort amusing. How do I approach the colt?"_

"_You already felt __**your **__hooves did you not...do as you did with me. When you do contact him...say..._ _Ég skal ekki skaða þig._ _Leyfðu mér að ríða! {I shall not harm you. Let me ride you!}"_

"_And the horse will understand the gibberish when I do not...?"_

"_He will understand the intent, this is the language of truth and being."_

"_Okay..."_

"_Do it!"_

Steve then searched for the hooves, the only part of the horse he had remembered mentally...as he neared the horse's consciousness this time however...he could almost _feel_ the light emanating from it...luring him onwards like a moth to the flame...Steve approached warily but when he happened to brush against the consciousness he was inevitably pulled in...and surrounded by something that seemed as wary of him as he was of the horse.

With no small amount of trepidation, he repeated what Arya had told him to...and the lights around him seemed to relax, settling into a warm pulse all around him. Belatedly, Steve realised that the lights _were the _horses' being itself...and he was fascinated...maybe he could actually test his energy theory for himself...and why not now? What could go wrong?

He warily approached the lights again and this time, he seemed dark and imposing...as if his consciousness were sucking all the light that there was...and the light grew dimmer and dimmer...until he was forcefully ejected...and thrown back into his body?

Steve opened his eyes...more like...tried using his eyes again. He was lying on the floor with Arya glaring down at him. By gods, she looked terrifying.

"_Are you still...you?"_

"_You are an idiot...Steve...nearly killed the horse and yourself...it is a good thing that you promised not to harm him or the horse would definitely have been dead..."_

"_What did I do? I was only trying to test a theory..."_

"_This is not a child's playground Steve ...you could have died if I were not here to heal you! What did you do anyway...did you try to..."_

"_Cool down..."  
"What did you do?"  
"I was only trying to absorb some energy"_

"_Some? Some energy? You nearly killed the poor beast and your body sustained severe burns...do you even know how much energy a horse has? And you almost completely drained him...!"_

"_I am sorry. Okay? Didn't mean to do it ...was only testing theories? "_

"_Be as it may, Steve you should have asked me before...do not do anything like this again if you value your life."_

"_What will you do with the horse?"_

"_I will have to feed him and wait for him to revive."_

"_But we would be late...for whatever you have in mind...why not just give him some energy from the gems...?"_

"_Because they don't have any left! I used it all up in killing those...urgals and healing you"_

"_Um...If I may say it...I have an idea...?"_

"_Another one of your theories?"_

"_Well...yes...but you said I could talk to you" _Steve said, flashing a cheeky grin...

"_Go on, I may as well hear it out right now instead of you trying to kill yourself...again"_

"_Well it goes like this..."_

Steve then went on to explain his idea about the Air and water ...choosing to leave out fires and hydrogen bombs for the moment.

"_You really think that it hasn't been tried before? You aren't the first person in the world born with a brain that works..."_

"_Not the way I want it to be done..."  
_He then launched into a complicated explanation about atoms and freezing the moisture in the air to crystals...which would then absorb the thermal energy around them, "converting" it into a usable form...

"_The crystals would melt...due to excess energy..."_

"_It would not matter if you kept mental contact from the start till the end...by the time the crystal melts most of the energy would have been transferred somewhere else...like the pommel of your sword._

"_Listen to me Steve. Magic is an entirely unpredictable manifestation of nature. What you say is highly abstract and I am limited by the use of Ancient Language...I could possibly cast your thoughts into words and as such if I tried...the crystals could very easily lead to a magical backlash. A more experienced elf perhaps, like my master or my mother could probably do it...directing magic with thoughts and emotions...but I would not risk it. We wait for my horse to recover"_

"_Magic... It is possible without words?"_

"_It is. Magic was not always bound by the words of our tongue and those who performed it took great risks upon themselves...I would not suggest that you try it. You could very well risk all those around you."_

"_How?"  
"As I said magic is limited only by our thoughts, if we so choose to perform it and as such, the final result depends greatly upon the caster's mental composure. If he were to be distracted during the act of performing magic and then the thought could manifest itself in the final result...If I wished to kill a deer...and accidentally thought of you...it would be you who would die."_

"_That's cheery ... so, another idea down the drain!"_

"_I would not discard this so easily...it is a unique thought and maybe someone could come up with a spell for it. Or maybe someday...you would be experienced enough, but not today...not for much time to come"_

"_Em...One last question...?"_

"_Yes?" _

"_Where is the Varden? What exactly is the Varden? And do I still have to ride a horse?"_

"_That was three questions...you will know what the Varden is when we reach it...for now ...consider it a front against the King...rebels if you will. And yes...you will still need to ride a horse. Once Starlight revives, which will take most of the day...we are only a few hours from the city gates...and probably will reach the gates by evening. We need to leave as soon as possible and will stop only to get you a horse and replenish our supplies for the journey till Farth...eh...the Varden, which will take us along the __Âz Ragni , a river that flows along the path we will take"_

"_More like you will follow the river down to wherever it is that we are going...So is Varden a terrorist group?"_

"_What?"_

_**A/N: This was one chapter that was falling off in all directions...I hope I managed to make it bearable...the full text was about 15000 words and would have bored you to death, probably.*sheepish grin***_

_**Had to reread and divide it into three parts...lol...hope you have as much fun reading it as I had with the writing. As you can probably see I tried to give some depth to my OC and his relationship with the new world...hope I did succeed.**_

_**~Thanks for reading...TwistedTounges**_

_**PS: I really really need a beta...it is a pain in the arse having to proofread a chapter that long alone. And you can check out my profile for any disclaimers you need**_

_**PPS: I used some Icelandic for the Ancient language. Paolini did derive from it and I am too lazy for digging up Old Norse. If there's any grammatical error in the Icelandic ...blame google...**_

Shiloh91_**: **Thanks for the praise. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!_**  
**


	5. Exams and Life being a bitch in general!

Hi there.

My apologies to those who thought It was a real chapter.I believe I owe you an explanation for not updating when I said I would. I do really look forward to updating since t do have my _note-ish _chapters done but they are utterly cringe-worthy(especially since I don't have a beta yet) and with exams round the corner for my last year in school and college apps and all that, life's been really hectic. I'm hoping I'll get into good ones since I have an excellent record except for my behavior,lol

So, lets come to the point. I have exams during all of march and much of April. The rest of the year...I have nothing to do nothing. So well, see you in two months

~twisted Tounges...

And, yep I know this ain't a real chapter. This note's going down with the next update , due April 20-ish


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